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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25896991">Shadow Behind Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maraschino_Cherryy/pseuds/Peachy_skies'>Peachy_skies (Maraschino_Cherryy)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts (Video Games), Steven Universe (Cartoon), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia, 鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crossover, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:01:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,104</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25896991</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maraschino_Cherryy/pseuds/Peachy_skies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sora, thinks about his past and home while in a strange place, finds comfort from an odd place.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Roxas/Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Sora &amp; Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Shadow Behind Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Uhhh okay this is for a crossover au/rp between me and some friends but the basic idea is that heartless caused a universe rift and Sora, Deku and Tanjiro have ended up in Stevens world and they have wacky misadventures.<br/>This little drabble is focused on sora and Vanitas though!</p><p>This is incredibly odd and self serving but its 2020 who cares<br/>Comments are welcome and i hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>******</p><p> </p><p>Sora sits, staring out at a slowly setting sun.</p><p>Hes moved away from the groups camp by Stevens car, having felt off and needing a moment to think.</p><p>He knows hes sad. He might be a little slow but he isn't dumb.</p><p>He misses his friends. His home. The little pieces of his heart that made their home there for so long.</p><p>Despite the pain, the empty feeling in his heart, he feels himself smile when a Weight suddenly presses to his back.</p><p>"You're here."</p><p>The body behind him lets a grunt of acknowledgement, leaning its weight further against his back.</p><p> </p><p>Sora stares into the distant sky, letting himself and the figure rest back to back in comfortable silence.</p><p> </p><p>He wonders.</p><p> </p><p>He hears the others back at camp, talking and chatting in the fading sun.</p><p> </p><p>He wonders what his friends are doing.</p><p> </p><p>He wonders if Riku is letting his hair grow back out again.</p><p> </p><p>He wonders if Namine has managed to cover her new bedroom walls in dozens of drawings yet.</p><p> </p><p>He wonders if Xion is enjoying a new beach to collect shells on.</p><p> </p><p>He wonders if Ven is adapting to new technology well.</p><p> </p><p>If Aqua and Terra are finally together.</p><p> </p><p>If Axel and Siax are happy.</p><p> </p><p>Steven strums his guitar in the distance.</p><p> </p><p>Sora wonders if Kairi ever started learning to play. She always talked about wanting to.</p><p> </p><p>The sounds of Stevens guitar, loud laughter from Deku, Tanjiros smaller laughs and comments.</p><p>Its all painfully familiar, and Sora finds himself unable to rejoin them, content to sit out here, past the treeline of their little campsite, and think about his home.</p><p>Beach City is nice, but it makes his miss his island more.</p><p>The sound of waves here isnt exactly the same, and the lack of fruit trees makes his chest hurt.</p><p> </p><p>In all his time traveling, hes never felt this homesick before.</p><p> </p><p>He wonders, vaguely, if Roxas ever misses him.</p><p>If he can feel the little void in their heart thats missing.</p><p>How badly he wanted to really get to meet him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> "You think too much." </strong>
</p><p>Sora blinks, caught off guard for a moment by the voice that sounds so much like his own, but rougher, deeper, laced with something bitter.</p><p>Right hes still here, pressed to soras back.</p><p>"Sorry," Sora laughs sheepishly, "I guess i forgot i wasn't alone-"</p><p>His eyes suddenly widen, realization hitting him.</p><p>Oh.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>"You are the light. And i am the shadow you cast." </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>I guess im not alone. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The corners of his mouth crinkle just a little.</p><p>"you're here. You stayed."</p><p>Something about saying it outloud makes the void in his heart, the hole left by three missing pieces, feel a little fuller.</p><p>
  <strong>"Not like i have anywhere else to go." </strong>
</p><p>Soras smile grows, just a touch, at the slightly harsh tone.</p><p>"You didn't have to stay with me, though. But Im glad you decided to, instead of fading. I would of missed you."</p><p>The other boy goes stiff, a long silence spreading between them.</p><p>You and your stupid affection.</p><p>Finally, the other huffs, shaking his head.</p><p>
  <strong>"I had to. Your stupid, self sacrificing ass would be dead, more than you already are, without me." </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Rage. He can feel it take over, when his body and heart feel weak and like hes close to the end, he can feel the raging darkness, a shadow that takes over and pushes him to live. A force that isn't fully him fighting to keep his heart alive. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>'So that was you, huh' </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Sora just smiles, letting himself lean further into the other, basking in the feeling of another body pressed close. </p><p>He closes his eyes, listening to the sounds of his new friends. A loud yell comes from camp, he can distantly make out the conversation if he tries. </p><p>
  <strong> "They'll end up just like all the others, you know." </strong>
</p><p>Sora hums.</p><p>
  <strong>"This'll all end and they'll all go home. And we'll get left to the void again. We'll have to leave them,  just like everyone else." </strong>
</p><p>"I know."</p><p>
  <strong>"Then why bother getting close?" </strong>
</p><p>Soras eyes stay closed, finally the empty feeling in his heart doesn't feel so over powering.</p><p>"Because friends-"</p><p>
  <strong>" '-are your power' yeah yeah i know." </strong>
</p><p>Sora smiles brighter.</p><p>"Friends are good. They make you stronger, happier."</p><p>The other boy sighs.</p><p>
  <strong>"....they'd try and stop it, if they knew whats gonna happen to us when this is over." </strong>
</p><p>Soras eyes open slowly, his smile growing a touch sadder.</p><p>"I know."</p><p>
  <strong>"You're not gonna tell them?" </strong>
</p><p>Sora sits up, taking a deep breath. He turns and looks out towards the camp, vaguely making out the shapes of the others making food.</p><p>"No. I accepted my fate. I'll find my way back eventually."</p><p> </p><p>He remembers. The cold emptiness. His heart, lost and floating all alone in a sea of nothing. Searching for a way out.</p><p> </p><p>The boy behind him suddenly sounds small, almost nervous.</p><p>
  <strong>"You're not scared?" </strong>
</p><p>Sora turns, bright sky blue eyes meeting with piercing yellow.</p><p>Vanitas has changed since he last saw him. His clothes are simpler now. A black jacket like the one roxas used to wear, but shorter, less dramatic. Plain black pants, similar to Soras own, boots. He no linger dawns the helmet, opting to let his hair, identical to soras in everything but color, flow freely.</p><p>Not only that, depsite his resting bitch face, he looks, calmer. More at peace than the version of him from the past Sora and Ven fought. He looks,,,not happy, but like happiness is maybe in his reach.</p><p>"Im not scared at all, actually."</p><p>Sora hops up, stretching slightly, before extending a hand down to Vanitas.</p><p>"After all, we'll go together, right?"</p><p>The shadow before him stares, face twisted into his usual scowl. Vanitas seems to search his eyes for something.</p><p>
  <strong>"You make no sense to me." </strong>
</p><p>Sora just smiles, hand still stretched out expectantly.</p><p>Vanitas shakes his head, begrudgingly letting Sora pull him up. He looks down at their joined hands, yellow eyes pinched and almost unreadable.</p><p>
  <strong> "...but ill be here, i guess." </strong>
</p><p>Vanitas looks back up. <strong>"So don't do anything too stupid." </strong></p><p>With that, he Fades, melting back down into Soras shadow on the ground.</p><p>Heart feeling a little fuller, Sora humms as he heads back towards camp, shooting a bright smile when Deku happily announces that Tanjiro made food, "From the wilderness".</p><p>Sora takes his seat, happily eating and engaging with his new friends.</p><p>Once in a while his eyes fall towards his shadow, casted on the ground from the fire. The shadow seems to look back at him.</p><p>And Sora finds it comforting.</p>
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